Subway board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game which is instructive about a city&#39;&#39;s subway system, the game including a gameboard having a diagram of a city subway system, and disc playing pieces each of which represents a train for moving along a route drawn on the diagram, each player receiving five tokens at the start of a game, the game also including a deck of instruction cards and a spinner, the spinner serving to determine the extent of the train movements, and the cards giving specific favorable or unfavorable instructions. Also included is a set of tacks, each bearing indicia corresponding to indicia on one of said disc playing pieces.

United States Patent 1191 Smith Dec. 3, 1974 1 1 SUBWAY BOARD GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Theodore F. Smith, 82010 Colgate Ave., Apt. 100, Bronx, NY. 10473 [22] Filed: Apr. 25, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 354,168

[52] US; Cl..... 273/134 AC, 273/134 C, 273/134 E [51] Int. Cl. A63f 3/04 [58] Field of Search 273/131, 134

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 476,146 5/1892 Von Hunersdorff 273/134 AC 696,735 4/1902 Heidinger 273/142 JA 1,638,094 8/1927 Gilmour 273/134 E 2,128,608 8/1938 Goertemiller 273/134 C 3,362,715 1/1968 Hartpence 273/134 AC FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,111,104 4/1968 Great Britain 273/134 C France .Q 273/134 AC France 273 134 AC Primary Examiner-De1bert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Carl Miller 5 7] ABSTRACT A game which is instructive about a city's subway system, the game including a gameboard having 21 diagram of a city subway system, and disc playing pieces each of which represents a train for moving along a route drawn on the diagram, each player receiving five tokens at the start of a game, the game also including a deck of instruction cards and a spinner, the spinner serving to determine the extent of the train movements, and the cards giving specific favorable or unfavorable instructions. Also included is a set of tacks, each bearing indicia corresponding to indicia on one of said disc playing pieces.

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AWA E 2 HXQS FA! ANOTHE R FAR E TRAIN DELAY LOQE A ruEN SUBWAY BOARD GAME APPARATUS This invention relates generally to board games.

A principle object of the present invention is to provide a novel game which has all the thrill and excitement of the movement of subway trains in a transportation system.

Another object is to provide a subway game which is instructive in getting a player acquainted with a local subway system.

Other objects are to provide a subway game which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a'perspective view of the game.

FIG. 2 is a detail view of the game board.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the spinner unit.

FIG. 4 is a view in direction 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view of some of the playing discs.

FIG. 6 is a view of some of the tacks.

FIG.,7 is a view of a deck of cards.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 10 represents a subway game according to the present invention wherein there is a game board 11 having a playing field 12 on one side that is a map of an actual subway system of a municipality, such as New York or another city. The map indicates the courses of various different lines and indicates all local and express stations along each line, at least some of the lines having starting and ending stations different from every other line. Each line may be in a different color so as to be readily distinguished from the others, and various keys 13 and information 14 are printed on the gameboard for identifying the trains and lines on which each particular train travels.

Also a spinner or wheel 15 is removably mounted upon the board 11, the spinner having a circular edge thereof divided into sections each of which is indicated by a different numeral 16. A raised projection 17 is located between adjacent sectors to unquestionably decide which sector one end of a flexible pointer 18 indi cates, the pointer being secured at its other end on a post 19 removably secured on the board.

The game also includes a plurality of disc playing pieces 20, shown in FIG. 5, that represent trains and which are placed upon the board so as to travel along the lines. Each piece 20 has the same color as the color of the line on which it travels, and each piece has an alphabetic or other designation 21 that identifies the train. The movement of the train, i.e., whether it is an express train stopping only at certain stations or a local stopping at all stations, and at which particular station it ends its trip will be determined by the actual regulations governing actual trains in the city subway system. These designations 21 are the same as on the actual trains of the city subway system. The particular course of each individual designated train is explained at 14 upon the gameboard and corresponds to the actual regulations of the city subway system. Since the map is that of an actual subway system, the manner in which express and local stops are distinguished from each other in that subway system will be the way in which they will be distinguished on the game board.

The game also includes a plurality of discs 22 representing tokens, shown in FIG. 5, five of such tokens being provided for each player. The indicia on the tokens have no particular significance and are shown by way of example as having a portion of the subway map thereon.

Additionally the game also includes a deck of cards 23, shown in FIG. 7. These comprise 45 instructions cards consisting of 15 groups, each group comprising three cards. Each group of cards has the same instruction printed on each card, so that the deck of cards contains a total of 15 different kinds of instruction to the players. Before the game, all the cards are shuffled together and turned upside down. As is evident. in FIG. 7, some of the cards aid a player in moving ahead while other cards hold back his progress.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 6, there is a series of tacks 24 having designations, 25 imprinted on their heads that are identical to the designations 21 imprinted on pieces 20. In FIG. 1, the tacks 24 are shown stuck in the board in a row on the margin of the playing field. I

In playing the Subway Game, an instruction booklet 26 can be included, which contains the rules of the game. The following is a suggested text for a Subway Game for a city subway system:

THE SUBWAY GAME The game centers around the train you ride and the number of stations you pass to the end of the line and back to the starting point. You start out with Stokens. The fare is paid with a token. As you travel youll meet with good and bad luck. Your luck may give or take from you the one chance you need to win. This game can be played on a limited number of lines, or the entire system. Choose the one that will be helpful to you and fun to play.

STARTING THE GAME Each player spins the wheel, the highest number beginning the game. Other players take turns going from left to right of the first player. Turn all discs face down at the side of the board and shuffle. Each player pulls a disc. (This disc is the train you will ride.) The player then selects the tack with the identical designation printed thereon corresponding to the designation on the disc and places the tack at the head of the subway line on which that designated train travels in accordance with the actual regulations of the actual city subway system. Players now receive 5 tokens to use throughout the game. Tokens are used to pay the fare and are gained or lost in accordance with the instructions on the cards. If the player loses all of his tokens he is eliminated from the game.

PLAYING THE GAME The first player places his train at the trains starting point, and spins the wheel. Your spin determines the number of spaces you move. Each space corresponds to a station stop which that particular train normally makes in accordance with the regulations of the city subway system. If the final is occupied, you must move your train forward to the next space. To familiarize the players with the system, give the name of the station at which you stop.

USING THE CARDS After determining the number of spaces you move, you then draw a card. You MUST do whatever this card instructs. There are several kinds. Keep them face down so no one will know what they are. After each player has read his card, the card must be placed face up so that it will not be confused with the stack already in use. These cards may be used over and over in this manner.

THE TRAINS Some trains (discs) have different starting and returning points. If you should pull one of these trains, you will begin at and return to the designated places marked on the disc. More than one player can play with the same train. The movement of the trains along the lines corresponds to the actual movement of the correspondingly identified train in the actual city subway system being used. Thus, some trains will make express stops only, some trains will make all local stops and some trains will have to shuttle between various lines if they land at certain stations. The rules of the game will follow the actual regulations of the actual city subway system.

WINNING THE GAME including a plurality of separate subway lines at least some of which have starting and ending stations different from every other line. said subway lines having thereon a number of stations including visually distinguishable express stations and local stations, a plurality of tacks which can be inserted into the game board. each tack having imprinted thereon the specific designation of one of the trains of the actual subway system which travels along a specific restricted route corresponding to one of the subway lines, a plurality of playing pieces for movement upon said game board, the number of playing pieces corresponding to the number of said tacks, each of the playing pieces having imprinted thereon a designation identical with that of a corresponding one of the tacks, a plurality of tokens for division among the participants for use by the participants of said game, a spinner for selecting by chance a number from a group of numbers, and playing cards to determine favorable or unfavorable progress of a participant as well as the gaining or losing of tokens.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spinner includes a rotatable wheel having an edge marked off with numerals and a raised projection located between each pair of adjacent numerals, and a pointer having one end thereof for pointing at one of said numerals when said wheel has stopped rotating and the other end thereof removably secured on said board.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said playing cards comprise 45 in number, each said card having a playing instruction, some of said instructions moving a player forwardly in the game, while other instructions retard a player's progress. 

1. In a subway game, the combination of a game board having thereon a playing field which comprises an actual map of a subway system of a municipality and including a plurality of separate subway lines at least some of which have starting and ending stations different from every other line, said subway lines having thereon a number of stations including visually distinguishable express stations and local stations, a plurality of tacks which can be inserted into the game board, each tack having imprinted thereon the specific designation of one of the trains of the actual subway system which travels along a specific restricted route corresponding to one of the subway lines, a plurality of playing pieces for movement upon said game board, the number of playing pieces corresponding to the number of said tacks, each of the playing pieces having imprinted thereon a designation identical with that of a corresponding one of the tacks, a plurality of tokens for division among the participants for use by the participants of said game, a spinner for selecting by chance a number from a group of numbers, and playing cards to determine favorable or unfavorable progress of a participant as well as the gaining or losing of tokens.
 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spinner includes a rotatable wheel having an edge marked off with numerals and a raised projection located between each pair of adjacent numerals, and a pointer having one end thereof for pointing at one of said numerals when said wheel has stopped rotating and the other end thereof removably secured on said board.
 3. The combination as set forth in claim 2 wherein said playing cards comprise 45 in number, each said card having a playing instruction, some of said instructions moving a player forwardly in the game, while other instructions retard a player''s progress. 